


Protecting the Good

by SailorChibi



Series: evil steve verse [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Angst and Fluff, BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Steve Rogers, Baby!Tony, Bathing, Carrying, Cribs, Crying, Daddy!Coulson, Daddy!Steve, Diapers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evil Steve Rogers, Forced infantilism, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra Steve Rogers, Infantilism, Mild torture, Mutiny, Non-consensual infantilism, OC Hydra Agents, Pacifiers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Punishment, Self-Esteem Issues, Stockholm Syndrome, Toddler!Clint, Tony Stark Has Self-Esteem Issues, Twisted love, bottles, crawling, forced age play, forced baby tony, forced toddler clint, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, non-consensual age play, protect tony stark, some hydra agents are gonna die slow, steve does not like it when people touch what belongs to him, steve is gonna kill some people, steve rogers does not fuck around, steve rogers runs hydra, stupid hydra agents, that basically includes bucky and tony, thumb sucking, when it comes to tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:16:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15280371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: Steve and the Winter Soldier leave Tony to recruit a critical new agent to their cause. While they're gone, some Hydra agents who think that Steve is soft, and therefore isn't up to the task of leading Hydra, take the opportunity to "play around" with Steve's biggest weakness: the man who used to be Iron Man.Spoiler: Steve isnothappy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part three of this twisted verse, as commissioned by an anon. I love it.

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. There must be another way.”

“We’ve thoroughly researched him, Captain. He won’t be easily swayed away from SHIELD. They took him in when his aunt passed away. But he’s young and impressionable…”

“But you’re suggesting both of us.”

“The two of you do make for a powerful combination, especially to anyone who’s grown up with your stories. And it will be dangerous. You’re going right into the heat of SHIELD territory. You know what they’ve been coming up with recently. Plus…”

“Plus?”

“Sources say he is a big fan of Iron Man.”

Those last few words, spoken quietly, pierce through Tony’s awareness. Setting one of his blocks down, he half-turns and looks up at Daddy and the person he’s talking to. Up until now he hasn’t really been paying attention to them, because Daddy has lots of meetings and they’re all boring – when things are interesting and Daddy doesn’t want him to understand, he’ll switch to a language that Tony can’t speak. 

Surprisingly, Daddy doesn’t notice Tony’s focus and says, “A fan in what way?” with an edge to his voice. Something in Tony’s chest goes tight. He knows that Daddy doesn’t like it when people talk about Iron Man. 

“He’s a kid, not a threat. We would’ve eliminated him if we thought otherwise,” says Natasha. Her mask dangles from one slender finger as she talks. “Apparently Iron Man saved him at one point when he was little and it’s caused some hero worship. Nothing out of the ordinary, but something that you and Yasha could take advantage of if you play your cards right.”

Daddy stares hard at her. He looks like he’s made of stone when he does that, eyes cold. Tony would be crying already if Daddy looked at him like that, but, although she shifts her weight slightly, Natasha gives no other indication of her fear or nerves. She knows better than to stare back at Daddy, instead choosing to look somewhere over Daddy’s left shoulder. He could choose to punish her for this – they all know that. The hair on Tony’s arms stands up at the thought of punishment and before he knows what he’s doing he whimpers.

Both sets of eyes snap towards him. Daddy’s face softens, taking on that warm, concerned look he only gets with Tony or the Soldier. He moves over to Tony and kneels, wrapping his arms around Tony. The hug immediately makes Tony feel better because it means Daddy’s not mad at him. He leans into it, burying his face into Daddy’s shoulder; seconds later, Daddy stands up and hefts Tony into his arms.

“I will think about it,” he says to Natasha. “I’m not convinced that Spider-Man would be a great enough addition to our cause to make it worth my while.”

There’s a fraction of a pause, like Natasha wants to argue but values her life too much to do so, before she says, “Of course, Captain. Would you like me to continue monitoring the subject?”

“Yes. Bring any new data to my attention as soon as you get it,” says Daddy. “If you can’t find me, bring it to Bucky.”

“Yes sir,” Natasha says. Tony listens to the sound of her footsteps padding across the room, and then the door closes. He doesn’t fully relax until she’s gone. There’s something about the way that Natasha looks at him that makes his skin prickle. 

“Shh, baby boy,” Daddy murmurs, rubbing his hand up and down Tony’s back. “That was a conversation not meant for little ears. I should’ve known you’d be listening.” 

Fortunately, Tony realizes, he sounds fond instead of angry. It might be breaking the rules, but it’s breaking them in the way a real baby would – and Daddy never minds if Tony acts _more_ like a baby. To that end, he tightens his grip on Daddy’s neck and whines a little, giving a dissatisfied wiggle. He’s hungry. His breakfast bottle seems like it was a long time ago.

Daddy chuckles softly. “Hungry? I guess it’s almost lunch time. I was talking to Natasha longer than I expected.”

“Dada,” Tony says, freeing one hand to point to the kitchen. Daddy laughs again and carries him into the kitchen; midway through Tony’s lunch the Soldier comes in to join them, and Tony quickly forgets about the puzzling conversation with Natasha in lieu of cuddling into the Soldier’s lap while Daddy feeds him bits of sandwich.

But that conversation rears its head against before the week is out: Natasha comes flying into Daddy’s office without being asked. The Soldier is up and has her pinned against the far wall, arm across her throat, in the span of time it takes Daddy to turn around. Tony freezes, arms locked around his teddy, and feels his heart begin to pound at the sudden tension in the room.

“I’m sorry,” Natasha says, her voice a thin rasp from the pressure on her neck. “But – if you want Spider-Man – we have an ideal opportunity.” She stands rigid in the Soldier’s grasp, not trying to fight him. Tony’s never seen them fight before, but he thinks that Natasha probably wouldn’t win.

Daddy watches her as he finishes his conversation in clipped Swedish. Only when he hangs up the phone does he say, in English, “Bucky, take Tony to his nursery, would you? Stay with him.”

The Solider obeys as though it’s an order, releasing Natasha and backing away from her. Wisely, Natasha keeps her hands at her side and doesn’t react. He strides over to Tony and scoops Tony up. Tony curls into him, shaking for a reason he can’t put into words, watching over the Soldier’s shoulder as Daddy walks around the desk and over to Natasha until the door closes behind them, cutting off his view. 

They go to the nursery, where the Soldier tries to entertain him with some dolls. But Tony’s not interested; he’s worried. He watches the door and finally the Soldier gives up, dropping down onto the floor beside him and wrapping an arm around Tony’s shoulders. Sometimes it’s like the younger Tony’s headspace gets, the more tactile the Soldier is, and if that’s not a reason to be a baby then Tony doesn’t know what is. He gratefully sink into the contact and doesn’t even cry when the Soldier deems it’s time for a diaper change.

Daddy comes in a little while later, frowning intensely. Tony reaches for him, but even a hug doesn’t make Daddy’s frown go away. That’s scary. He looks at Daddy’s face and cups Daddy’s cheeks with his hands, using his thumbs to pull his mouth up into a caricature of a smile. Finally, Daddy does smile, but there’s none of that usual warmth in his eyes. He hugs Tony tight.

“Daddy has to go away for a couple days,” he says softly. Which comes as no great surprise give the conversations, until he adds, “Bucky needs to come with me.”

Tony jerks back and stares at him in shock. He’s _never_ been left without Daddy or the Soldier. “Dada?” he asks, his voice catching. “Sada?”

“Go?” The Soldier says, unprompted, which in itself is surprising. “Where?”

“I’ll tell you the details later,” Daddy says, looking back to Tony. “I’m sorry, baby. This is really important. I wouldn’t be going otherwise, but it… it’s important.” 

All Tony hears is that Daddy and the Soldier are leaving and he starts to cry, loud wails that make Daddy’s face pinch with grief. Daddy and the Soldier work together to console him, and eventually Tony falls asleep in their arms. But when he wakes up, it’s to the knowledge that Daddy and the Soldier are leaving within the hour and that Coulson will be in charge of taking care of him until they return. 

Tony cries again when they leave, but for the first time his howls don’t make the two men rush back to him. They still leave and he feels an undeniable wash of betrayal as the door shuts behind them. It opens again within seconds, but it’s not the person that Tony wants to see. Coulson walks in, looking sympathetic, wheeling Clint in a stroller. Clint is bound today, arms pinned to his sides by a straight jacket.

“Hi Tony,” Coulson says, calmly and quietly. “It’s okay. They won’t be gone long.”

Any time is too long as far as Tony is concerned. He collapses into sobs that shake his whole body and cries until he feels sick. Coulson hovers over him, trying to offer comfort, but it’s a paltry attempt as far as Tony is concerned. He doesn’t know how Tony likes his bottles, he doesn’t know that Tony hates tomatoes, he doesn’t know that Tony’s favorite blanket is the green one that the Soldier brought for him. And he can’t lift Tony off the ground, which is possibly the worst part of all.

By the time bedtime comes around, Tony is quiet and sick with misery. Coulson clucks over him for a few minutes before returning to Clint, who’s been just as upset – possibly more – than Tony all morning. When Coulson’s phone goes off, he wheels Clint out of the room; Tony catches a few words being exchanged out in the hallway, though he can’t tell who Coulson is talking to. 

When the door opens up again, he’s expecting to see Coulson. Instead, an agent Tony doesn’t know is standing there wearing a malicious smile. “How far the heroes have fallen,” she says scornfully. “To think, at one point my leaders thought you were an actual danger. Now you’re just a _baby_ in a diaper.”

Tony shrinks back a little, uncertain. Her smirk widens and she stalks over to him, gripping his upper arm hard. She yanks him around until their faces are closer together. Her breath smells sour and Tony squirms, wanting to pull away. No, wanting to cry – but the memory of being with SHEILD is still fresh: he recognizes that level of disgust, and he knows that crying will only make a bad situation that much worse.

“You’re proof that the Captain doesn’t deserve to lead Hydra,” she says, very softly. “He’s not worthy. He’s just a lapsed Avenger, with none of the _drive_ and _commitment_ … We deserve _better_.” Her fingers tighten to the point of pain, until Tony gives a gasp of pain. Then, suddenly, she straightens up and lets go.

“Coulson got a mysterious call that needs his urgent attention. Fortunately, it just so happens that I’m on the list of people that the Captain said could look after you while he’s gone. My name is Sarah. We’re going to have loads of fun together. Right now, it’s time for supper. So come on.” She strides back to the door and into the hallway, hauling a second stroller into the room. 

Tony’s never been in the strollers before, and he doesn’t really want to. Daddy and the Soldier carry him everywhere. He tries to shy away, but two men follow the stroller in. One grabs his shoulders and the other his legs, and then he’s hoisted unceremoniously into the air and dropped into the stroller. The pain is a shock and Tony sucks in a startled breath, clutching his stuffed bunny tighter. His lower back aches as one of the men grabs the stroller handles and starts to push him out the door.

“Where are we taking him?” asks the guy pushing the stroller. Tony looks around frantically as they enter the hallway, but there’s no sign of Coulson. 

Sarah smiles again. “We’re going to visit the cafeteria. It’s only fair that the rest of the agents get the chance to work out some of their frustration at the spectacularly shitty leadership we’ve been dealing with.”


	2. Chapter 2

The mission goes better than even Steve anticipated. He’s known for a while now about SHIELD trying to recruit the next generation of young superheroes. With the Avengers gone, they’re not exactly subtle about it. Some people might think that Steve would be concerned, but really he finds it amusing – and somewhat pathetic. SHIELD is not equipped to deal with teenagers or young adults, and their floundering has driven more than one would-be superhero right into Hydra’s arms.

They’re basically doing Steve’s job for him. He’s not going to complain about that. He has an image, one that he’s shared with a select handful of people, of a new group of Avengers under Steve’s control. People of a better, stronger quality than the low level agents that build up most of Hydra. People that Steve can trust to bring in a new future. It’s an image that has gotten him through many frustrating days.

He glances over his shoulder at the young man sitting opposite Bucky. Peter Parker is nineteen years old, but has already seen enough strife for a lifetime. Steve’s read the file that Natasha put together multiple times. Parker lost his parents at age five, his uncle at eleven, and his aunt (and only remaining family) at seventeen. Sources conflict over when Parker got his powers, but Spider-Man first appeared on the scene about four years ago. He was a solo hero, working the neighborhoods of Manhattan, before SHIELD recruited him nine months ago.

The recruitment hasn’t gone well. Steve doesn’t even need the file to know that. It was written all over Parker’s face when he showed up to their meeting spot. Steve can’t say he’s surprised. SHIELD works best with a specific type of personality: people who flourish under a stern hand and a long list of rules and regulations. Anyone who thinks even slightly outside the box tends to have trouble.

Steve knows better. He’s got the routine down pat now. During their first meeting, he donned a uniform that, while not the Captain America uniform he used to wear, subtly called back to those days thanks to the color scheme and a few stars. With Bucky at his side, dressed in deliberately casual jeans and a black shirt, they’d gone to meet Parker. Parker was understandably wary, keeping his distance, but Steve didn’t miss the spark in his eyes when he saw them – or the way he snapped to attention when Steve dropped Tony’s name.

It rankles a little. Tony is _his_ , and Steve does not share. Yet it’s also hard to be angry at someone who so obviously, genuinely adores Tony, because Tony got so little of that. It did occur to Steve to wonder whether Parker might be planning some misguided rescue plan. In between explaining to Parker what Hydra’s ultimate goal was and why, as well as what role Parker would ideally play in that, he made sure to make mention of the fact that Tony had been ‘rescued’ by SHIELD once before.

Their meeting had ended with little fanfare, but with plans for a second meeting. In between, Parker had definitely done some research. Steve had been hardpressed not to grin triumphantly when Parker showed up with a packed bag in hand. SHIELD wasn’t even making this hard anymore. He almost felt sorry for the miserable organization as he ushered Parker up the plank and into Steve’s private plane.

It’s not set in stone yet, of course. Parker is young and misguided. He’s mentioned several times that he doesn’t want to kill anyone, and that his goal is always about taking responsibility and protecting people. Steve figures he can manipulate that easily enough. When Hydra is in power and running the world, no one will be hurt. People – even the little guys – will be safe. SHIELD are the ones causing problems by trying to fight that. He can lay some proof at Parker’s feet easily enough. That, plus some training sessions with the famous Black Widow, will probably be enough to cement Parker’s loyalty to Hydra.

Steve smiles to himself. Even though he usually doesn’t have anything to do with recruiting, preferring to leave that to Coulson and Natasha, Natasha was right to encourage him and Bucky to go. She made a good call. Parker was a little more trusting from the moment they met, and that made it easy to have a conversation with him rather than the stuffy, men-in-black-suits bullshit SHIELD always pulled off when recruiting. Steve’s old reputation, as well as SHIELD’s penchant for keeping scraps of information close to the vest, has paved the way to a recruit that could, someday, become one of Steve’s more trusted men.

“Um,” Parker says, drawing Steve’s attention back to him. He fidgets, but meets Steve’s gaze without flinching. Most people show deference to him. Steve finds that he likes the young man’s mingled lack of awareness and confidence. And it’s not cockiness, the way it would be for some people.

“Yes?” Steve says.

“What’s gonna happen when we get back?”

“Bucky will take you to meet Natasha. She’ll be your mentor,” Steve says. The two Spiders. They’ll be a lethal team. “You won’t see me very much. I typically have a lot to do on a day-to-day basis.” Empires don’t run themselves. “Natasha will get you settled. Then you’ll begin with an evaluation to figure out where you stand, and what your strengths and weaknesses are.”

“I’m going to have a mentor?” Parker repeats, seemingly pleased by the idea. Steve’s not surprised. SHEILD pulled him out of the ice and then left him on his own for three months. The only contact he had was a handful of SHIELD agents who spent more time gawking at him than they did doing anything useful. It stands to reason that SHIELD’s idea of recruiting hasn’t changed; they probably hauled Parker off the streets and dumped him right in the middle of SHIELD bureaucracy.

“Yes. All of our recruits are matched with an agent who will show you the ropes and help you get your feet under you. In Natasha’s case, she will also be your combat teacher. You’ll be spending a lot of time with her,” Steve tells him. He’s not sure if Natasha wil llike that, but then again it’s not like Steve cares. She’ll do what’s asked of her, or pay the consequences.

Parker nods, looking thoughtful, and falls back into silence. He’s more relaxed now, so their conversation has pleased him. Steve dismisses him and redirects his attention to Bucky. To anyone who doesn’t know him, Bucky would look relaxed. But after all these years Steve can identify the points of tension easily, and he’s aware of the reason for them. Bucky is uncomfortable with being away from Tony. He’s incredibly attached to the baby, to the point where any assassin who ever tries to come after Tony is going to end up severely regretting it.

The idea of it fills Steve with warmth. Bucky didn’t like the idea of kidnapping Tony in the beginning, but Steve persevered in spite of that. He knew what Tony needed, and he knew that Tony could help Bucky with what Bucky needed: something that Bucky could focus on when being the Winter Soldier became too much. Steve doesn’t need someone to hover or care for him. Tony does, always has, and now Tony has to admit it. It’s a match made in heaven and Steve loves the idea of his two favorite boys getting along so well.

The first sign that something is wrong is when the plane lands and Steve gets off to find that both Coulson and Natasha are waiting for him. It’s unusual to see them together without Clint. Steve studies their faces, noticing the obvious tension and worry, and keeps his own expression schooled as he strides over to them with Bucky and Parker on his heels.

“What?” Steve says.

“It’s Tony,” Coulson says, and Steve immediately wants to pull out his gun and shoot him. He refrains, of course, but his face must speak volumes because Natasha quickly jumps in.

“He had an accident while you were gone. He slipped and fell. He broke his right arm and has some bruises. He’s also got a low fever. The doctor says it’s likely the result of shock, but that he should heal with no problems.” Her voice is remarkably even considering that she’s braced herself for a blow. 

Steve stares at the two of them for several seconds, his mind working quickly. It’s not much information to go on. “Take me to him,” he orders Coulson. “Natasha, this is Peter Parker. He’s your responsibility now. I suggest you take him well in hand.” He lets a thin thread of anger surface in his voice. Natasha doesn’t flinch, but her face flickers just enough for Steve to know that she’s afraid.

Good. She should be. There will be punishments coming for this, just as soon as Steve figures out what really happened. Tony’s not supposed to be walking and he knows that. He hasn’t tried to walk in months – he probably _can’t_ walk at this point, not with how atrophied the muscles in his legs have become. Steve and Bucky carry him everywhere, and, on the offhand moments when Tony wants to move himself, he crawls.

Coulson immediately turns and walks into Headquarters. Steve and Bucky follow. Normally Steve enjoys coming home after a mission, but right now his thoughts are too caught up with Tony. And, as soon as he catches his first glimpse of the baby, he feels that all consuming _rage_. It starts somewhere in his belly and surges up into his chest until Steve can barely breathe with how badly he wants to hunt down everyone who had a hand in what happened while they were gone.

Tony is sitting on the floor of his nursery, staring down at his blocks. His face is heavily bruised, with dark purple-and-black bruising seeping across his right temple and underneath his hair. His right arm is laying across his lap; the heavy white cast goes from around his fingers all the way up to his armpit. The stiff way he’s sitting suggests that there may be more bruising under his clothing. 

The poor baby looks so lonely and sad that Steve takes a step forward before he can stop himself. “Tony?”

Tony’s head shoots up, eyes already widening and pooling with tears. “Dada!” he cries, a heartbreaking sound made worse when Tony tries to lift his arms up. He freezes halfway through the motion, letting his arms fall and curling in on himself with a pained whimper.

“Oh, baby boy.” Steve crosses the floor between them and, as gently as he can, scoops Tony into his arms. Tony’s good hand grabs onto his shirt with a tight grip as Tony begins to bawl. Bucky comes into the room too, laying a noticeably trembling hand on the back of Tony’s head. This has shaken Bucky too, Steve can tell.

“I’ll leave you for now,” Coulson says quietly, the words barely audible over Tony, and slips out of the room. Steve glares at the door for a moment, torn between the urge to sprint after him and interrogate him and the urge to comfort Tony. Tony wins, but only by virtue of the fact that Steve still believes Coulson is loyal to him. It’s unlikely that Tony’s injuries are purely by accident, but Coulson probably doesn’t know the reason. He’ll still question Coulson, but other methods will need to be used if he wants to find the truth.

All of those thoughts tumble through his mind in the span of a few seconds, before Steve disregards them entirely – for now – and turns his attention back to the baby. Tony is crying loudly, the little fingers of the hand in the cast opening and closing in Bucky’s direction. Bucky, his face softer than Steve’s ever seen it, takes Tony’s hand carefully and presses a kiss on it.

He murmurs something to Tony in Russian, too faint even for Steve’s excelerated hearing, and nuzzles in close, until Steve has his arms around both of them. Trapped between them, Tony’s sobs quiet into the kind of whimpery crying that makes Steve ache because it means something is really, truly wrong. And in that moment, he feels a deep disguist aimed at himself: when he first kidnapped Tony, he promised Tony that he would protect and take care of him and never let anyone hurt him. The evidence of Steve’s failure is staring them all in the face.

Someone is going to pay for making Steve break that promise.


	3. Chapter 3

Though Steve interrogates Coulson intensely, he doesn’t get a satisfactory answer for what happened to the baby. He doesn’t need the doctor’s report to know that Tony’s injuries aren’t accidental. The fact that the security cameras in the cafeteria mysteriously malfunctioned during the time Tony was there is a glaring red flag. It’s enough to make Steve think seriously about rebooting JARVIS.

He doesn’t mention that thought to anyone, not even Bucky. Everyone, including SHIELD, assumed that JARVIS was destroyed when Steve kidnapped Tony. Considering that JARVIS only ever listened to Tony and had about as much respect for SHIELD, it wasn’t that big of a loss and, as far as Steve knows, no one ever bothered to follow up on it. So no one knows that JARVIS’s servers are actually locked away in a very secret location, just waiting for the day that Steve has need of them.

Today could be that day. He drums his fingers on his desk, gazing thoughtfully at Tony’s crib on the monitor. The baby is sleeping, but it’s a restless sleep filled with frightened whimpers and pained gasps. It’s probably a matter of time until Tony wakes up wailing. Whatever happened was enough to traumatize him, and every minute spent soothing Tony drives Steve’s fury to newer levels.

JARVIS is a risk. He’s loyal only to Tony. He would be an _excellent_ baby-sitter, unparalleled really, but Steve can’t have him working against them. He’ll have to figure out a way to make JARVIS understand that this is best for Tony. Perhaps, he muses, he can have Natasha hack SHIELD. If she can pull the footage of what happened to Tony there, that might be enough to sway the A.I. The fact that Pepper and Rhodey are here, if not necessarily because they want to be, would help too.

In the meantime, there’s another way to find out. Steve leans back in his chair at the sound of a tentative knock on the window. “Come in,” he says, having left the window unlocked for just that purpose. He watched as Spider-Man pushes the window open and crawls into the room, somehow making it look every bit as graceful as walking through the door. Spider-Man straightens up and pulls his mask off.

“Hello Sir,” he says quietly. “I have some information for you.”

Steve turns fully towards him. “Oh?” 

Parker nods and fishes a piece of paper out from – somewhere – and sets it on Steve’s desk. “This is everything I’ve overheard, as well as a list of names,” he tells Steve. “They haven’t said a lot because I’m new, but they don’t know I have advanced hearing. They think I can’t hear them.” There’s a hard glitter in his eyes as he speaks. The sight of it is pleasing.

“Good work,” Steve says, picking up the paper. He skims the information and feels a slow swell of purpose. He can work with this; in addition to what he’s already suspected, it means there’s a mutiny brewing. 

He looks back up at Parker, studying the young man for a moment. Parker is more comfortable in Steve’s presence than most other agents. Possibly because he’s enhanced, but Steve thinks it’s because Parker doesn’t have much to lose. This is someone who will probably never be loyal to Steve, but he’s already loyal to Tony. He hasn’t seen Tony yet, but a description of Tony’s injuries was more than enough to piss Parker off. That’s something that Steve can work with.

“I want you to go back and keep listening,” says Steve. “The more names you can bring me, the more people that will pay.”

Parker gives another, terse nod and says, “And – Mr. Stark? Is he okay now?”

“Tony is human. His injuries heal slower,” Steve says, not unkindly. “And it’s only been a week. He’ll be in considerable pain for a while yet.” Even the bruises haven’t faded yet. Tony’s always bruised so easily, and now he can’t hide behind make-up.

“Could I… could I see him?” Parker asks hesitantly.

Steve looks at him for a moment, considering. He used an audience to cow Tony that much more quickly, humiliating him and treating him like a baby in front of all of Hydra. He knows now that was a mistake. Flaunting the fact that Tony is now defenseless, and then taking away his two best means of defense, basically painted a target on Tony’s back. That’s why he has to do some regrouping now. 

But Parker already knows what kind of life Tony lives now, thanks to Natasha. This will be a good test to see just how loyal he is, and if his sense of right and wrong can tolerate Steve’s actions.

“You can, but I will warn you that you’re bieng _very_ closely monitored,” Steve says, standing. He tucks the list in his pocket and leads Parker to the door that joins his office to the room where Tony is napping. He watches Parker’s face closely as they both walk inside.

Tony is still sleeping, now on his back, thumb of his left hand tucked into his mouth. The light slants across his small body, showing the damage that’s been done. Parker’s eyes widen slowly as he takes in the sight of an adult man in a onesie and diaper. To his credit, he makes an effort to keep his face straight. But Steve’s nothing if not an expert at seeing through people by now, and he can read Parker’s surprise like black letters on a freshly printed page.

“I know you were a fan of Iron Man. You probably only saw what the press, and by extension Tony, wanted you to see. That was only a small portion of the story. The truth is that Tony was slowly killing himself by trying to protect this world. He was giving everything away, keeping nothing back, and none of them showed even a shred of gratitude for what he was doing. Worse, they heaped scorn on him and made it seem like Tony was the bad guy.” Steve thinks back to those days and feels a flash of rage, tempered by satisfaction. 

No one thinks that way now, do they?

“Some people think I was wrong for kidnapping Tony and changing his lifestyle the way that I have. I disagree. Tony is happier now. He doesn’t have to worry about anything. I take care of everything.”

“But you don’t,” Parker says.

“Excuse me?” Steve says.

Parker looks at him squarely. “Mr. Stark got hurt while you were gone. They hurt him.”

Had anyone else said something like that, Steve probably would’ve lost his temper. For some reason he’s not really sure of, he quells the urge to backhand Parker and responds evenly. “I made a mistake. I put more trust in some of my employees than I really should have. Tony suffered for it. I will spend the rest of my life making up for it. It won’t happen again.”

There’s a moment of silence during which Parker considers this. Then he says, “If I stay with Hydra, could I be added to Mr. Stark’s security detail?”

It’s not really a shock, all things considered. “Perhaps,” Steve says after a deliberate pause. “You would need to prove your loyalty. Not just to me, but to the Winter Soldier as well. I’m not prepared to trust anyone with him right now.”

Parker nods. “That’s fair.” He sets a hand on the crib. Steve tenses, ready to cut him down if he tries to touch Tony, but he doesn’t. Quietly, Parker adds, “Iron Man saved me once when I was a kid. I would be dead if it weren’t for him. I always swore that I’d find some way to return the favor, but then… then I became a superhero and I realized it wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” His smile is filled with bitterness, courtesy of SHIELD.

“When Mr. Stark disappeared, I was worried. I never believed that he was dead, but I also didn’t expect this. Natasha told me what happened with SHIELD when they took him. She even showed me some of the footage. I couldn’t believe it…” Parker trails off, fingers tightening around the crib, before abruptly loosening when the material creaks warningly. “This seems wrong, but if it makes Mr. Stark happy then who am I to judge? And he is happy, right?” He looks up at Steve, seeking an answer.

“Yes,” Steve says without hesitation, because he does believe that Tony is happier now than he ever was before. There’s no need for Parker to know about those first few months, when Tony didn’t know what was good for him and fought back against Steve’s methods. Tony is happy _now_ and that’s what matters.

“Then that’s what I care about. I’m on whatever side that Mr. Stark is,” Parker says, a distant look in his eyes. “Whatever you need from me, Captain, I’m there.”

“Names,” Steve tells him. “I need names.”

“Consider it done,” Parker replies. He takes one last look at Tony, eyes lingering on Tony’s face, and then turns to leave the room. Steve allows him to leave. Once the door to his office closes, he turns back to Tony and lets a smile form. Parker will probably never be a bloodthirsty agent like the Black Widow, but Steve is more than willing to use him in other, equally useful ways.

It takes another three weeks before Parker brings him another list. Steve takes it and adds it to the intel from Natasha and Coulson. What he finds does not please him, but now he knows the people to take his fury out on. He gives the list of names to Natasha and orders her to find everyone on that list and escort them to the cafeteria. Steve thinks that it’s fitting that their punishment will take place at the scene of the crime.

He walks into the nursery and finds Bucky giving the baby a bath. Tony is subdued, as he has been for the past several days, playing quietly with his new favorite toy, one that has different colored buttons. Each button makes a different sound. Tony’s developed a fondness for making up little songs. It helps that sometimes Bucky taps out songs and sings along to them.

“I need you to stay with the baby,” he says to Bucky. 

Bucky looks genuinely conflicted, torn between the desire to maim the people who hurt Tony and the urge to protect Tony in Steve’s absence. As always, loyalty to Tony wins out and he nods slightly. “Make sure you do a good job of punishing ‘em, punk,” he says.

Steve smiles at him, delighting in the old nickname. “Don’t worry. I’m going to make them scream.”

“Good,” Bucky says, eyes dark, and then they both look down at Tony. Tony lifts his head at the attention and blinks at them. The sight of the bruising on his face and his arm, still in a cast, fills Steve with a new burst of rage. No one will ever touch what belongs to him again.

Pausing only to drop a kiss on Tony’s head, Steve leaves the room and strides towards the cafeteria. Rumor has it that some Hydra agents think he’s weak. That he’s coasting along on reputation alone, and that he doesn’t have what it takes to truly run Hydra. They think he’s depending on the Winter Soldier and that Captain America, leader of the Avengers, will someday fold.

There’s no point in explaining to them that they’re wrong, or that they’re collectively just so far down the level of the organization that none of them have any knowledge of what Steve’s done or doing or planning to do. If they knew, he thinks, they never would’ve made a move against Tony. Either that, or Steve has been working with idiots – which is a distinct possibility. Or a combination of both. Frankly, he doesn’t care which it is. None of them are going to walk out of the room alive today.

He saunters into the cafeteria, noticing that the room is dark. The lights are mostly off. Numerous agents fringe the room, with an unlucky handful in the middle. Natasha is there, a cold look on her face as she looms over the agents in the middle of the room. Steve sees one of them, Sarah Miller, trying to face down Natasha, and smiles grimly to himself. He knows now that she played a central part in what happened, and she’ll be punished accordingly.

His boots squeak against the polished floor, sending a wave of silence through the room as Steve walks straight up to the group. Without hesitation, he draws his gun and puts a bullet between the eyes of one of them. He ignores the gasps and shocked murmuring that follows, keeping his gaze on the remaining nine agents. All of them are beginning to look very afraid. That’s smart of them.

Miller, predictably, is the one to find her voice. “You’re killing good, loyal agents over Iron Man! This just proves that you are not fit to be the leader of Hydra!”

“I hardly see what one thing has to do with the other,” Steve says in a slow, cool voice. 

“You’re Captain America! Hydra’s enemy! You’ve made your way to the top so you can tear us apart,” she accuses.

Steve shakes his head and shoots another agent. As the body hits the ground, he says, “You’re mistaking my patience for ineptitude. Taking over the world is not something that can be done in a week’s time. It’s not done by bringing attention to yourself, by attacking people in broad daylight, or by plastering your faces and your uniforms all over the six o’clock news. It’s done by working behind the scenes to get. Things. Done.”

He punctuates that last sentence by shooting three more people. Five left, including Miller. Steve gets up in her face, looming over her. “The Red Skull was a useless idiot. He floundered for _years_ trying to make something of Hydra and got no where. Who do you think took control of over half the world? Did you think that happened before I cam, and your superiors kept it secret?”

Miller opens and closes her mouth. Nothing comes out. Steve smiles and holds his gun out to Natasha. She swaps it for a new one, expressionless. Too fast for anyone without advanced abilities to notice, Steve shoots the remaining four agents until only Miller is left. Terror crawls across her face as she looks down and around her at the bodies of her fellow agents.

“You don’t deserve it,” she says regardless. “You’re weak.”

“I disagree. Men who think they are above everything are the ones who are weak. The old leaders of Hydra got cocky. They thought they could never be taken down. It left a door wide open. They never saw me coming,” says Steve. “The same can’t be said for you. Did you happen to notice you’re missing some of your friends?”

Her head jerks around as she surveys the bodies, and then her face goes white.

“Three of them are already in the dungeons,” Steve tells her, relishing the sight of her fear. “Everyone who touched Tony. You’re going to join them. I promise, the four of you will see _exactly_ what I am capable of by the time that we’re through.”

“No, you can’t!” she says desperately, looking at the other agents surrounding them. “Help me! We can fight against him and take Hydra back!”

No one moves. No one meets her eyes. Steve beckons to Natasha, who silently steps forward. Miller screams, a sharp, piercing sound, and tries to run. Natasha takes her down easily with a blow to the knee; Miller crumbles, sobbing, and Steve is disgusted by the realization that he ever thought her fit to be an agent. She won’t last long, he knows, but they can have fun in the meantime.

As Natasha drags Miller out, Steve sweeps his eyes around the room. “Let that serve as a lesson to all of you. I do not tolerate anyone ignoring my orders, and I will not hesitate to kill anyone who touches the Winter Soldier or Tony Stark. _Do I make myself clear_?”

Murmured assent. No one looks at him. Satisfied, Steve stalks out of the room. Coulson, waiting at the door, enters as Steve leaves. Coulson and Natasha have both been suitably punished in private; now, he knows that they’ll reinforce the message to everyone else. Steve Rogers is not a man that you cross lightly. Perhaps it’s time the rest of the world got a reminder as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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